


Grey Feather

by Rodyle



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Sekirei (Anime & Manga), 衛宮さんちの今日のごはん | Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan | Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Anime)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family, Family Reunions, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2020-10-06 22:37:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodyle/pseuds/Rodyle
Summary: A somewhat familiar scenario, with a hard left turn.





	1. Chapter 1

_Haneda Airport, Tokyo, 2020_

Seventeen hours. It had been precisely seventeen hours since the plane from London had taken off on a multi-stop journey to Fuyuki City in Japan. From here in Tokyo, there was only a single, hour long connecting flight to go.

So the last thing Shirou Emiya-Tohsaka needed was, along with his very pregnant wife and their mutual partner, to be promptly sidelined into some backroom by airport security and forced to wait for three hours. 

As for said pregnant spouse, Rin Emiya-Tohsaka looked like she was going to pop a blood vessel, kept calm only by the constant, gentle ministrations of their blond compatriot.

Still, even a constant drip feed of Saber would only contain the fury of Tohsaka for so long, so it was with a good deal of relief when the door finally opened and a pair of women strolled through. 

The relief was immediately dissipated by the realization that one of them wasn't human and was wielding a katana. The silver haired creature also reeked of blood, though she didn't seem to be one of the vampiric Dead Apostles at least.

The human woman, a whiter haired scientist of middle age at most, seemed to be in charge however, or at least was doing the talking. Her lab coat clearly identified her as an employee of Mid Biotics Information, one of the largest and most powerful corporations on the planet. This both explained how she might have the clout to acquire non-human muscle, and made the situation all the more tense. Fortunately, talking seemed to be how this was going to start. "So," the woman began, irritation plain on her face as she scanned over each individual in turn, "I'll give you a chance to come clean first, I suppose."

"Come _clean?_ Come clean about WHAT?!" The Tohsaka volcano finally erupted, "Shirou breathed into that stupid security Gizmo and next thing we know you've boxed us up and are treating us like criminals!" His wife's patience was never her strongest feature, and this particular circumstance would try that of a saint, to say nothing of it occuring while she could pop any day now.

"Rin," Saber's soft voice, despite maintaining a normal volume and the tone of a soft reprimand, cut through all, "you must remain calm in your present state." Notably, though addressing Rin, the blonde never broke eye contact with the mysterious non human, who had taken up a spot in the corner.

The scientist paid no mind to the furious, pregnant grad student, and instead focused on Shirou himself. "I don't know who you are, or what you thought you'd accomplish by pulling this stunt, but again: you've got ONE chance to deal with me, instead of Karasuba."

The threat was noted, but... Shirou scratched his auburn hair, "I truly have no idea what you're talking about. We were told that the new security system was experiencing a mechanical error and that we'd have to talk with the technician for security reasons. That's the extent of my knowledge, beyond a promise that the airline would compensate us for this delay."

The woman looked for a moment like she was about to give the Karasuba creature the go ahead, but decided against it, instead reaching into her coat and pulling out a tablet with some sort of breathalyzer apparatus attached via USB cable. "All right, let's say I believe that, you won't object to another test and some questions?"

"That compensation is growing by the second," hissed Rin.

Shirou was very much trying to avoid he and Saber being forced to kill some mystery humanoid and senior scientist in the employ of one of the world's most powerful corporations while trapped with a pregnant Rin in a small lounge of a busy airport. "Of course not, fire away."

Obliging, the scientist offered the breathalyzer, which Shirou exhaled into, before withdrawing it again and reading something on the bad. Her scowl, which had never left her face since entering, softened into a simple, though troubled, frown, before she unplugged and stowed the attachment. Then she made a few further inputs and asked, "name?"

"Shirou Emiya."

"Age?"

"24."

"Occupation and purpose in Japan?"

"Househusband. I'm returning with my wife and our partner to Fuyuki so she can have the child among our friends and family."

More inputs, an odd hint of...panic? sorrow? in her eyes, and then, "names of parents?"

"What in the hell is the relevance of any of this?!" Rin interjected, only for the creature to respond.

"Easy girly, you just need to know that Vice Director Takami wants to know it, capiche?" Karasuba said, though now her focus was on the now mutual staring contest between herself and Saber.

Before Rin could escalate, Shirou asked for clarification, "Adopted or biological?"

"...Both."

"I was adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu. As for my birth parents, I'm afraid I don't know."

Silence, and then, "..were you adopted following the Great Fire?"

"...yes?" This affair had gone from irritating, to threatening, to outright confusing.

Takami dropped the tablet, and that broke Karasuba's focus on Saber for a moment, "Oi oi Takami, what're you doing over there?"

Shaking, Takami bent over, retrieved the device, and this time when she looked at Shirou he was struck to see the woman looking at him like she'd seen a ghost.

"I... should explain the nature of the device. It's meant to run DNA tests, without being invasive, and run the results against multiple international criminal databases to track potential security issues but... this was just an unofficial test, so it actually also had the test database of MBI scientists loaded on it."

Shirou remained confused and Saber continued to focus on Karasuba, but something clicked in Rin's mind despite the cloud of anger. "Wait, so when Shirou did the test-"

"It... inadvertently ran a paternity/maternity test," Takami, looking on the edge of a breakdown, put the tablet down on the coffee table the three travelers were seated in front of. The screen displayed only one thing, a photo of what was unmistakably a much younger, smiling Takami, black hair already showing streaks of white. In her arms were two children, a toddler boy and an infant girl, both with black hair. 

And at her side was a boy, probably 5 or so, with bright auburn hair.

As Shirou's brain was struggling to process this shattering of his worldview, Takami began to openly sob as decades old hurt resurfaced, "It.. it was the chicken pox! I didn't think Yukari was old enough to catch it. I sent you to my mother's house so she could watch you while I kept Minato and Yukari. And then, and my mother's house was so close to the center, and I checked so many hospitals," the woman reached out suddenly and clasped Shirou's shoulders, "and so many orphanages and I LOOKED AND LOOKED AND-"

A hand gently touched the weeping scientist's shoulders... but it was not the stunned Shirou's. "So," Rin said, rubbing her temples with the other hand, "this is, assuming your gizmo is right, the least likely thing that has ever happened... but I'll tell you right now you don't have to try and convince him of anything. He believes who you are, he believes how hard you searched, he's just... processing. Trust me." The magus produced some tissues from her purse and offered it to Takami, who seemed to suddenly regain awareness of her surroundings. 

As the scientist turned from the party and tried to regain her composure, Saber finally turned from Karasuba (who was struggling not to laugh) and, after a brief glance at the picture, offered her own thoughts. "This is not really the place for this discussion, and unfortunately while ideally we would perhaps stay in the city for a time to sort this out, as you can see from Rin's condition, we're on a fairly strict time limit."

Takami took a deep breath and faced the group again, "Yes, yes of course, you could be giving... birth... Wait that's my-"

Saber continued, "however, given the situation, it would be cruelty to so quickly separate after such a miraculous reunion, may I make a suggestion?

Simply join us in Fuyuki. After all, it IS your granddaughter that's being born."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Where to start.
> 
> Obviously, this is making a decidedly old move and taking the starting scenario of In Flight.
> 
> I'll not comment on IF itself much, everything that can be said about that thing has been said. But I will say that Sekirei's quality, or lack thereof, aside, I've always thought Takami was cool. All the interactions between Blessing's Shirou, ooc though he was, and Takami were great, and I love that first meeting scene especially.
> 
> So let's let the family meet, I say... and in order so as they might meet, I had to move the dates of all the Fate stuff forward 10 years. The 3rd War happened in 44, FZ in 04, FSN in 2014 (likewise FHA).


	2. Chapter 2

The next hour was a flurry of arguments, phone calls, and arrangements. Having an actual task to complete allowed Takami to pull herself together and reassert her usual attitude of dominance and unflappability, at least outwardly.

The actual arrangements were trivial to complete. Takami was the second highest ranking leader of one of the world's most powerful corporations, with effectively unlimited finances and immense clout, if less so than the maniac CEO. She quickly arranged for the airline to refund the party's entire fare, round trip, and for the three of them plus Takami herself to be put on a private MBI jet post-haste.

Takami was initially hesitant to accept this Saber's invitation. Not because she didn't want to go, although her son's dazed and confused countenance and his wife's obvious discomfort made the blonde's offer somewhat less appealing. Her real concern was that she might push too hard and drive him away, because she was effectively a total stranger to him.

Learning that he remembered nothing before the fire was, objectively, not surprising, but it still felt like she was being stabbed in the gut. Takami remembered every second of those seven years, having replayed them in her mind endlessly for the last sixteen. But effectively her baby, her Takehito, didn't exist anymore. She'd made peace with that, as much as one possibly can, except now here he was.

The tiny little redhead she'd once doted on had grown big and strong, his skin slightly tanned and his hair showing signs of the same early greying she'd gone through. What's more, he had a wife and... a second wife? It was unclear and not something Takami felt bold enough to pry at yet. Whatever her precise status, Takehito, no, Shirou, referred to her as a partner to him and his expecting wife.

A grandchild. A girl, the blonde said. 

It is was almost too much to be real, but while she intended on having everything triple checked Takami knew in her gut that the security system hadn't made a mistake. Focusing on that and the task at hand kept her grounded, as did the blonde's measured, calm arguments towards allowing her to come along, arguments she eventually accepted.

Thus came the hard... well not hard, just irritating, part of the arrangements: talking to Minaka.

"I don't understand Takami!" the insane CEO of MBI yelled into the phone, "You're leaving Tokyo? Now? Why!? The show's about to start!"

"Which is precisely why," Takami said through gritted teeth, "you don't need me to be here anymore. The other techs can finish adjustments and manage collection themselves, and I can always be consulted remotely if needed."

"I... But... But why though!?"

"That, at present, is none of your concern." Takami had long had a policy of keeping her insane ex from interacting with their children. Minato still didn't know who his father was, and while she suspected her youngest might have figured it out, she wasn't about to tell Yukari outright either... well they were both adults, so that might change eventually, but not now.

As for the rediscovered eldest child, Takami would tell Minato eventually. He'd been as devastated by the boy's supposed death just as much as she'd been, and it probably hadn't done much to help Minaka's already questionable sanity. But right now, the situation was too delicate to risk his getting involved. Takami wasn't even sure she could navigate this herself. For much the same reason, she was going to hold off on telling her other children, unfair though that was.

"But... oh fine, go on your mystery vacation, see if I care... Oh! But I thought you should know: Minato has contracted Number 88!" 

Takami's heart skipped a beat. "What? When did this happen?!" 

"Oh, the other day, I forgot to bring it up. He got evicted for having a girl in his apartment, it was pretty funny! ... though now he's ended up at Miya's place."

_Worse and worse_, she cursed silently, _at least nobody will be dumb enough to attack him while he's there... but he's still wrapped up in this._

"Stiiiill want to leave?"

"...yes." Minato would be fine for awhile. Musubi was a scatterbrain but she was a good girl and Miya would keep him out of the cold. This was not an opportunity she could abandon.

"...that important huh?" Minaka's voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Take as long as you need, if that's the case."

\---

Shirou never felt comfortable with wealth. He knew he was relatively well off of course, with his large house and modest inheritance from Kiritsugu, but he was never much of a spender. His wife was old money, but most of it just went to her expensive family magic, jewelcraft. The London flat his family lived in was fairly modest, a reflection of his and Saber's tastes and Rin's effective means. His sole experience with true upper class living was playing with the late Ilya in the Einzbern's ridiculous castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki.

But Christmas dinners in a castle were a very sort different sort of rich from flying in a ludicrously kitted out corporate jet. They'd barely been in the air for ten minutes when passengers all save Rin were given their own bottle of some wine that Shirou had never heard of but strongly suspected would cost multiple months worth of the family food budget at the least. 

Once wine was safely on hand, his... mother, he supposed he was going to have to get used to thinking that, apparently felt safe in breaking the veil of silence. 

"So... you mentioned meeting friends and family for this, do you mind telling me about them?"

This was a fairly safe topic, Shirou decided. "Well, mainly it's Rin's sister Sakura, Sakura's girlfriend Rider, and my former guardian Taiga we're going to meet, but there's others. My best friend Issei is , his still there, his family are the hereditary priests of the big temple in town, and plenty of our other old classmates are too. Oh, and Taiga's grandfather, Raiga. He took care of me along with her after my adoptive father passed."

Takami frowned at the mention of Kiritsugu. Shirou didn't like it but could hardly blame the woman: Kiritsugu's adoption of him was irregular and bypassed a lot of channels, which is likely why Takami never found Shirou. Of course, from Shirou's perspective, it was only because of Kiritsugu he was alive in the first place. It wasn't a fight he was Keen to pick, so instead he tried to redirect the conversation, "So you're the number two at MBI, but what sort of work does that actually entail?"

Takami hmm'd, "Much if my personal work is classified unfortunately. I'm the number two in the company at large yes, but my actual job is head researcher. I work with a lot of our top secret projects and prototypes... which is why things got so serious when we thought there was an espionage incident involving faking being my son... what about you three? What do you do? Take- Shirou, you mentioned being the homemaker?"

Rin was annoyed at being the only one denied the sweet social lubrication of alcohol, but dived in anyway. "I'm a grad student in mineralogy at Birbeck. In addition to my actual studies I make money as a research assistant for several faculty members." All technically true: for mundane legal purposes, all students and faculty at the Clocktower were registered members of either the Imperial College or one of the University of London's many subsidiaries, of which Birbeck was one. "...well I'm on leave now, obviously." Rin added as an afterthought.

"Will you be going for your doctorate?" Takami asked.

"Of course!" fired back Rin, offended at the very implication she would even consider doing anything less than one hundred percent. 

Takami nodded, visibly approving of her newly discovered daughter-in-law being a full-time academic. She turned to Saber next, who was polishing off a juicy looking steak that had been brought out at some point during the conversation, "What about you, Miss Saber?"

The time traveling High King of the Britons swallowed and took a dignified sip of wine before replying, "I simply teach women's self defense." 

Another approving nod from Takami, "A worthwhile cause!" 

This was all going far too well for Shirou to be comfortable with.

Saber then added, "I should also mention that, while primarily the homemaker, Shirou helps Rin with her projects and will help me teach from time to time."

"Ah, yes," the man nodded, "I was in the same department as Rin," after all, the inherent magical properties of various materials was just about the only thing he could actually make use of from a Clocktower education, "but I stopped after my bachelor's. I suppose technically it's a waste of my education," Shirou said with a smile.

Takami seemed to absorb this for a moment, then turned back to Rin. "How is he as an assistant?" 

"Passable."

Takami looked back to Shirou, "not a waste then." She downed the rest of her glass.

It felt odd to have this woman he barely knew evaluating him like this, but there was nothing to be done about that. It also was a significant improvement from her having a complete breakdown so from that perspective he'd much rather things go on like this. 

"Did you have some ride arranged to meet you at the airport?" Takami asked suddenly.

"No," replied Rin, "we were just going to get a cab back to Shirou's house."

Takami pulled out her phone, quite the modern looking one, especially compared to the flip phones he, Saber, and Rin used, and made a few inputs, then said, "a limo will be there when we land."

...was this what rich people who weren't technophobic magi lived? 

Well, fine, whatever. A bigger problem was looming anyway, getting closer by the second: how were they going to explain any of this to anyone once they arrived?


	3. Chapter 3

True to Takami's word, there was a limo waiting for them (on the tarmac, in fact) when they touched down at the small airport set a distance from the Shinto District of Fuyuki. The vehicle was marked prominently with the MBI logo and both a driver and what was clearly hired muscle, both of whom quickly ushered the passengers into the vehicle while they saw to the luggage.

"Your men are quite... punctual," Saber noted mildly, as she inspected the interior. 

"When you have a lot of hands there's always some to cover something-" replied the scientist, somewhat tipsy and clearly considering indulging further from the no doubt well stocked drink compartment that was visible between some of the seats. Shirou judiciously decided to sit between her and said cabinet. Whether this was taken as a signal or she simply decided against it, her focus shifted towards her son instead, "Shirou, what's your address?" 

"Shouldn't I tell that to the driver?"

"I'm going to put it into the gps," she said, indicating a computer console set into the divider between the front seats and main passenger area. "That'll give him directions."

Accepting this explanation, Shirou answered and watched as his mother entered the address into the computer. "So, before all this," Takami waved her hand in a circle, "happened, didn't you all have some kind of itinerary? I'll help with that in any way I can. Unless the only time limit is biological."

"I have an appointment tomorrow at Fuyuki General," Rin said, "I'm not actually due for another two weeks, but since it could happen at any time they want to be sure I have the routine down for checking in here."

Takami leaned her head back as the limo started moving, "Two weeks? Mmmm, cutting it close on that flight," she gestured to Shirou, "your younger sister was born three weeks early. Kids abhor schedules before they've even seen daylight."

"...It was the best we could do," replied Rin, mildly irritated at being critiqued by someone she'd met all of 3 hours ago over something they had limited control over. 

"Then I'll give you the best I can do," the older woman remarked. "When you're settled in for today, talk to me and we can arrange for whatever kind of on-call care you want. Also, consider all your expenses this trip covered."

That was too generous, in Shirou's eyes, "Wait, whatever extra medical care you can arrange is obviously welcome, but you don't have to go further than-"

"No, I don't _have_ to," she snapped, more fiercely than she meant, and she immediately looked contrite. After a deep breath, she continued, "I _want_ to help. I... understand right now, we're basically strangers. So I don't know you well enough to offer anything deeper, but even if it's just something as shallow as money, let me help with that. I haven't..." she trailed off.

"Shirou," Saber interjected, before Rin could jump on the offer of money in an overly blunt fashion, "if she wishes to offer aid, allow her to do so. Treating an offer she has given as if you are burdening her would be insulting to her generosity."

With mixed emotions, Shirou let the matter drop. "So you've mentioned my siblings, what are they like?"

Takami fumbled with the window as she fished around in her coat for a cigarette, "Minato's twenty. He's a ronin, lives with his girlfriend in an old boarding house, works as a bartender at a host club." She grimaced, "He's plenty smart, but can't handle pressure, so he always bombs his exams," the woman successfully recovered her tobacco, made eye contact with her daughter in law, then returned it to its place. "I worry about that boy, but there's not much I can do about his nerves. Maybe that girl of his will be able to help better than I can.

As for your sister, Yukari's nineteen, in her second year at Shindong Women's. Biology, of course," she added the last part with a note of pride.

"I'll be happy to meet them," he said, and it was true. Disorienting as these revelations were, it was exciting to go from an orphan to someone with three blood rela... wait, three? There should also be-

"You haven't mentioned the father," Rin noted, charging forward without the slightest hesitance.

The older woman now studiously avoided eye contact with any of the other passengers, "...well, yes. That man is... around." She glanced out the window, watching Shinto roll by for a moment before continuing, "...I'll introduce you to him eventually, but this is all complicated enough, so I ask that we table him for another time."

The pregnant mage raised an eyebrow at that. "No matter how bad your relationship with him is, surely Shirou deserves-"

Shirou reached out and took his wife's hand, "It's fine, Rin. In the first place, my father is Kiritsugu," he ignored Takami's scowl at that comment, "I'm not in any rush to meet someone else. Besides, she's right about this being complicated enough."

Mollified for now by this, Rin stepped back to a less incendiary topic. "Have you told Shirou's siblings?"

Takami shook her head, "Minato recently went through some rather dramatic revelations of his own, I'm going to put off adding to his plate. I'll probably tell Yukari tomorrow." Left unsaid was, 'if this whole thing doesn't collapse in on itself before then.'


	4. Chapter 4

The sleek new limousine contrasted heavily with the traditional Japanese house it stopped in front of. As the driver and bodyguard rushed to unload the luggage, the locals led the way in, with Takami following behind.

"You think anyone's in right now?" Shirou asked.

"School should be over, but Sakura and Taiga might still be working," Saber replied. 

"Hmm, Sakura's cooking would be nice after being trapped in airline hell," Rin noted, "...but I don't think I've the energy to deal with Taiga at the moment."

"Hey now, she's mellowed out a lot in the last few years," Shirou said, coming to the defense of his older sisteresque ex-guardian. "Although really I think it'd be ideal if nobody was home at all, consid-"

The front door slid open at lightning speed just as Shirou was about to reach it, and the young man was caught in a flying-tackle hug, with a cry of "TAIGA FUJIMURA, READY FOR AUNTING DUTIES!"

As Shirou was lifted up and swung around by the smaller woman, Takami hung back by the front gate, studying the scene and the setting in equal measure. _So this is where my Takehito grew... __well he said that Emiya had died, but he wasn't alone at least. _

After a few moments, Taiga roughly dropped her now slightly dizzy ex-ward and turned on the girls, "And of course here's our mama! Ah, Rin, Rin, you look great! And you too Saber!" 

Rin managed an exhausted wave, while Saber smiled and replied, "It's good to see you again Taiga. How is Mr. Raiga?"

Taiga pouted and crossed her arms, "Hale, hearty, and pestering me to get married, the old goat. The other day he even had the nerve to go, 'even Shirou's having a kid, so hurry it up.' Like having a family is a race!" Both arms punched the air, "Life is for one's own pace, old timers can mind their own business!" She whirled back on Shirou and both hands clapped down on his shoulder, "Hey hey Shirou, don't you ever become pushy like that okay? Just stay as you are and do what your lovely wives and big sister tell you to do."

Shirou brushed past the implications of his limited autonomy with long practice. "The boss is just worried about you Taiga, you know that. More importantly, I need to introduce-"

At this point, Taiga finally took notice of the distant Takami, locking eyes with the older woman for a moment. Without breaking eye contact, she leaned towards Shirou, "...Hey, hey Shirou... there's a real ice queen/cool beauty type over there. Also a fancy car and some guys. Wait, actually, did you come here in that? Who's that lady? Did you pick up ANOTHER girl? Saber and Rin are both responsible and there's love so it's fine but you can't just go grabbing older ladies off the street and-"

"Okay sorry, pregnant woman here, long flight, long day, no energy for this conversation." Rin announced, "Good to see you Taiga, but I'm going to go lay down. Saber, help Shirou with," she gestured vaguely at the approaching Takami, "this whole thing." Without even waiting for a response, the expecting mage vanished into the house.

"...Anyway, as I was saying sis," Shirou continued as he gestured to the scientist as she came to a stop next to him, eyeing Taiga curiously, "this is Takami Sahashi. We met her by chance at Haneda. She's... um... my mother."

Taiga was dead silent for a moment, and then exploded, "WHAAAAAAAAAAT? NO HANG ON, WHAT'S WITH THAT DRAMATIC REVELATION, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST SWALLOW THAT?"

"I understand that it's difficult to believe Taiga," Saber interjected, attempting to mollify the raging teacher, "but it seems she truly is-"

"DIFFICULT? DIFFICULT? TRY IMPOSSIBLE SABER?!"

"Pardon," Takami's voice cut it, "but if you could not talk about me like I'm not here, that'd be appreciated. As for it being a shock, I just discovered a son I thought buried sixteen years ago is alive, married, and soon expecting. Kindly don't talk about 'dramatic revelations' in my presence." A fight with her rediscovered child's sister figure wasn't ideal, but she couldn't help but lash out a bit at being called into doubt. 

Taiga locked eyes with Takami again, then after a moment lowered the arms she'd been waving, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, it was the less commonly seen Taiga The Adult. "...Well if Shirou and Saber say it, I'll believe it... he's my little brother though, so I'm watching you."

Takami returned the stare with her own and, hearing the two staffers rolling up with the luggage, decided not to push the matter further. Genes or not, she understood her position with her son and his family versus this woman perfectly well. "... I'll accept that."

Desperately wanting to refocus the conversation, Shirou asked the first thing that came to mind. "Uh, Taiga, so, who else is here right now besides you? Were you having dinner with Rider and Sakura"

"Oh!" said Taiga, her expression odd for just a moment, "Er, no, just me. Sakura had to stay late grading papers. Once she finished that she said she was meeting Rider at the water park for a date."

Shirou cocked his head to one side in confusion, "Wait, why were you here by yourself then?"

"Um, like I said, grandpa's been bugging me lately, so I just wanted some time with myself and some shirozake. I was watching TV when you came in.

Shirou nodded, that made sense. He didn't notice his wife's stare boring holes into his sister/guardian/teacher, although the target herself certainly did. "Well since nobody's had dinner, let's stop standing in the yard! Saber, can you show those guys where to put the bags and set Miss Saha- my mother up in one of the guestrooms?"

Saber eyed Taiga for a moment longer, then turned to her husband and nodded, "Of course. I'll put her in the West wing, so she can have the space to herself. Please," she gestured to Takami and the staff, "come along."

With a final glance at Taiga, Takami complied.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

The locals' luggage was quickly placed in the appropriate rooms by the staff, and after a brief discussion with Takami both the driver and bodyguard departed, leaving MBI's number 2 and Saber by themselves. Saber then showed Takami toa small room at the western end of the mansion.

In contrast to the almost cartoonishly traditional rest of the mansion, this room had a distinctly western decor, including a proper bed. The small blonde informed Takami that she was welcome to rest, and that someone would come get her when dinner was ready.

Not wishing to inflict her presence further on the suspicious guardian for fear of upsetting Shirou, Takami decided to simply isolate herself for now, flopping backwards onto the bed as soon as she was alone. 

Hands found hair and started to pull, "Good god what is happening?" This didn't feel real. Takami wasn't normally so prone to wild emotions. Today, she'd been swinging between practically disassociating completely (where she would collect and judge information as if it was a lab experiment) and huge spikes of emotion. She'd lashed out, gotten drunk, and even completely broken into hysterics in front of complete strangers (and worse, Karasuba). 

It was so humiliating she was almost sure she was having some bizarre nightmare. Soon she'd wake up and be trapped back at MBI, dealing with aliens, a lunatic, and being haunted by a son and parents who'd been lost to ashes. 

She pulled her hair just hard enough for it to hurt. Unhealthy behavior, she could objectively understand, but in the moment it helped ground her. 

Taking out her phone, she decided to follow-up on one of the many orders she'd given while arranging the flight.

<Lab 18, have you finished examining the samples you were sent?>

She sent the message, a few beats passed, and a response appeared.

<Round one results confirm positive match. Rounds two and three still to come, Vice Director.>

<Continue rounds 2 and 3, report when each round finishes.>

<Yes ma'am.>

Well.

The second and third rounds were a matter of pure paranoia, in truth. Between the initial match and the first confirmation round, barring outright hallucination, she was without question in the home of her lost son, expecting a granddaughter.

That certainty, while still disorienting in its own way, at least removed whatever possible threat of this being an overly elaborate rude or even just a mistake.

The threat of burning bridges before they can even be built however, very much remained. 

And on top of that, of course, her phone decided right then to suddenly play an old children's show them she'd set for someone who used to love it.

Takami considered letting her daughter go to voicemail and trying to sleep some, but thought better of it and answered. "Afternoon Yuk-"

"BIG BROTHER GOT A GIRLFRIEND AND SHE'S GOT GIGANTIC-"

Takami hung up, waited a few moments, then answered when it rang again. 

"I'm sorry for shouting," said the suitably chastised voice of Yukari Sahashi.

"Too right," Takami remarked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Now, as for your brother, okay, he has," an alien, "a girlfriend. Good for him. Why call me about it?"

"...I wanted to gossip?"

"And the first thing out of your mouth is an inappropriate remark because?"

"I REALLY wanted to gossip."

"..."

"..."

"...well in any case, what Minato does with others is his business, leave your brother be."

"But you get in his business all the time!"

"Hm, you want your allowance cut?"

"I'll be good."

Takami hesitated for a second, then, "Listen, Yukari, I have to talk to you about something very important. And under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to tell Minato or anyone else without my explicit say so."

"Um... okay Mom. What is it?"

"It's... It's about your brother. Not Minato, Takehito.

The other end of the call was silent. Unlike Minato, Yukari didn't even have vague memories of the eldest Sahashi child, knowing her sibling only as a shrine photo she had lit incense for her whole life.

He wasn't a verbotten subject like the sibling's father, but he was certainly not a comfortable one. For the Sahashi matriarch to bring up her late eldest was nearly unheard of. "...what about him?" It was genuinely confusing.

"I...well I found him."

"...ah, what?"

"I found him. At Haneda airport. I'm at his house in Fuyuki. His wife is expecting in two weeks. "

"Mom... are you feeling-"

"No, no Yukari, I'm not feeling okay," again, losing control, this time at her daughter," I'm feeling like I've gone insane. But also, I know I haven't, because I've had my coworkers check and double check the dna. Yes Yukari, this is ACTUALLY HAPPENING."

Again, silence. Partly because of the revelation but also simply because Yukari was used to Minato being the one who got yelled at. Speaking of which, "That's... that's wonderful mom! Like, insanely good! So... Uh... Why are we not telling Minato?"

"Because he has enough on his hands at the moment."

"...this seems like it's more important that whatever big brother has his hands in or on."

"That's not what I mean! Look, just... just trust me, leave Minato alone for now. I'll tell him soon."

"...mmm if you say s- wait did you say his wife is expecting? I'm going to be an aunt!? WHERE IN FUYUKI?"


	6. Chapter 6

Shirou Emiya was somewhat at a loss.

"No absolutely not! This is delicate enough without-"

On the one hand, the conversation wasn't unrelated to him.

"-and I don't care what fuss you make about it I'll-"

But on the other hand, he wasn't supposed to be listening to it either.

"-of course it involves you but it doesn't immediately need -"

Of course on some theoretical third hand, there wasn't much helping listening to it, considering the volume it was being held at. Paper walls certainly had some downsides...

"Yukari, I am imposing enough as it and I can't-"

Well, he'd only come to mention dinner was ready but...

"Please excuse me," the young man said, pulling the door to the guestroom open. It was a bit rude, but well, sometimes it can't be helped.

Takami nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden entrance. "Takeh- er, Shirou!" 

A voice came out of the phone, "Wow is that him!? I want to talk to him!"

That brought the irritable scientist back to the conversation, "Listen you-"

She was cut off by her son clearing his throat. "Ahem. Normally I'd not get involved in some else's conversation, a private call no less, but, if I may?"

His mother bit her lip for a moment, then nodded for him to continue.

"Right. So..." he trailed off for a moment, then said, "Pardon me for eavesdropping, but based on what I heard, that's my sister, right?" Another nod from Takami. "May I ask for you to, what's the phrase, put her on speaker?" 

A moment's hesitation, then Takami obliged, "She's on."

"Thank you. And hello!" the young man addressed the caller brightly, "I think we've technically met before, but seeing as neither of us remember, allow me to introduce myself: I'm Shirou Emiya. I believe you're Yukari?"

The line was quiet for a moment, then, "Wow, this is SURREAL!"

"Yukari..." a warning growl from the mother.

"Er- right, I'm Yukari Sahashi! Nice to um, meet you properly? ...sorry I don't really know what to say about this."

"Ah, that's actually part of what I wanted to discuss." He glanced at the floor, then at Takami, "Actually, first, I'd like to say: I don't think you are imposing, Miss-"

"Just Takami. Please." Shirou thought that sounded a bit hurt, but couldn't say why.

"Takami, then. I don't think you're imposing. You were outright invited, first of all. And we have plenty of room, not to mention you've got a perfectly good reason to be here. Likewise, I don't mind if you come, Miss Yukari. I'd just need to discuss it with my wife first.

...I don't think any of us really knows how to handle this situation, but I know I'd like to figure it out. Family is important, yes?" He smiled at Takami, who seemed a bit taken aback. "Oh and of course, the brother can come too. Um, Minato, I think?"

"Minato is tied up at the moment," Takami said, somewhat evasively, "...but I'll let him know when I can."

Shirou scratched his head. It seemed an odd thing to keep quiet, but he didn't know their circumstances.

In a sense, even with the attempted homicide, Ilya was easier than this. At least then, one party knew the relationship! "Well even if he's not here before the birth, he can probably come anytime so long as we're here. Nevermind guests, we're used to people-"

There was a huge crash from the front of the house, followed by a drunken roar, "OI OI, BOYA-FATHER-TO-BE! I BROUGHT WHITEYLOCKS, YOU'RE GOING DRINKING WITH US, NO EXCUSE!"

Another voice also having lost volume control, "WAIT, HIM? I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING WITH TAIGA, SCREW THIS, I DIDN'T AGREE-"

"OH DON'T BE SUCH A DAMN SOURPUSS ALL THE TIME RED, AFTER ALL, IT'S TECHNICALLY-"

"-showingupuninvitedPLEASEEXCUSEME!" 


	7. Chapter 7

_Earlier_

Nameless One.

Iron Wrought.

Hero of Justice.

Archer.

Heroic Spirit EMIYA went by surprisingly large number of names for a man who fought and died in near anonymity, but he was fine with all of them so long as they weren't Shirou Emiya.

Following the collapse of the Grail War and the Mass Incarnation Ceremony, he may have abandoned his plans for a suicidal time paradox, but that didn't mean he was going to get all chummy with his younger counterpart either. This timeline's Shirou Emiya spending months, even years at a time on the other side of the planet suited him just fine. 

That the human Shirou had managed to not only reproduce, and thus risk passing on crushing stupidity to the next generation, but would be coming back with Rin and Saber for a year on Rin's maternity leave, wasn't welcome news.

EMIYA had fully intended to keep his distance from the whole affair, but another annoyance had forced itself upon him this particular evening: the greatest Irish hero, and a crate full of bottles filled with some truly hellish moonshine that the Lancer class Servant had dug up from... somewhere.

"Come on Red, you're a da!" Cú Chulainn said, having just chugged another bottle of the mysterious poison, "That's worth a drink and a song, ain't it?" the slim man asked, as he pitched the empty bottle off of the Shinto skyscraper they were perched on and off into the distant forest. "HA! Made it into Herc's territory with that one!"

"First of all, I'm not a father, an alternate version of me from this timeline's a father. Don't make me explain the me mechanics of time travel, because I WILL. Second, you of all people aren't known for caring a lot about offspring, so even if I WAS going to be a father, why would you care?"

"Oh aye, my own go at the miracle of life didn't end so great. So there's your first lesson from someone who's done it before: at least learn what they look like so you don't kill them later. As for time travel, horseshit you will, the Tohsaka lass could maybe explain it, but all you did was benefit from it, same as the rest of us."

"'Benefit' is a strong word."

"You were dead, now you're not. If that isn't a benefit, what is?"

"Technically the reason we aren't dead has nothing to do with the time travel."

"Aye aye, the witch lords it over me whenever she gets the chance, DETAILS."

"And anyway, EVEN IF it were my kid, EVEN IF I was alive, EVEN IF I wanted anything to do with the situation," Archer took a swig from his bottle, "NOTHING is worth drinking this garbage you brought."

"It's not garbage, it's just got a kick to it!"

"Lancer, this is basically acid."

"Well I haven't noticed you stopping, ya sour bastard"

Archer down the last, closed one eye, then threw his bottle with pinpoint precision, knocking out the power supply of a particularly obnoxious insurance billboard ad about a mile away, "Not like I've got anything better to do."

"Have you considered, and this is just a thought, not spending your nights camped out on an abandoned rooftop?" the Irishman remarked, words dripping with sarcasm.

"Doing what?" the Japanese man replied, grabbing another bottle from the crate and breaking the neck off.

"Bloody anything! Get a job maybe! You're all... servicey, tend fuckin bar or something at night. Or hell, come to speak of it, a bit of tendin and fuckin proper would unwind you a bit."

"Speaking of which, if you're going to come see me, shower first."

Lancer threw his arms up in the air, "I didn't have time! She practically kicked me out of bed this morning because she was going to be late for work, and she wouldn't let me stay in the house without her around when those three could show up anytime. Then I had to go to work myself and it was late after that and well here we are."

"Truly, yours is a life of hardship."

"Bite me whitehair."

EMIYA poured some booze into his mouth through the broken neck, swallowed, and askaid, "where'd you get this shit anyway?"

"Hm? Oh, I found it."

"You... Found it?"

"Yeah, found it. Crate was floating in the river."

"YOU BROUGHT ME RIVER HOOCH?"

"Yeesh, don't shout. Look free booze is free booze right? More importantly, it's got enough kick, and there's enough of it to get even us going."

Well

He had a point

\----

"OKAY," the Hound of Ulster said, taking a big swig, "SO I SAY... SAY... I SAY WE GO GRAB OUR THIRD AT 'YOUR' PLACE, THEN... I DUNNO, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT!"

"THIRD?" The counter guardian slurred, confused, "OH, RIGHT, SURE, WE CAN GET HER AND... AND YEAH, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT!"


	8. Chapter 8

Shirou slid out of a ran into his home's front entrance to find two of Fuyuki's greatest delinquents drunkenly arguing in it.

"I said I don wanma bring him!" yelled the Red Oni! 

"An I say bringin im ish tah hole point!" yelled the Blue Oni!

"And I say, 'Why are you two here, screaming, in someone else's house?!'" the chef interjected.

The plastered Heroic Spirits turned to Shirou, one with glee and the other content.

"Tah celebrate!" Lancer yelled.

"I wash tricked!" Archer said simultaneously.

Shirou sighed and rubbed his temples. He liked to think he could deal well with most people, but these two together always threw him off his rhythm. "Listen, I don't know what you two have been drinking, but just because we've got an open door policy doesn't mean you can barge in making a racket like this." He assumed his wife's patented Lecture Pose, "Rin is resting, for one thing. We just had a very long flight and she's weeks from birth! On top of that, we have a very important gueeeeeee-" Shirou trailed off mid sentence, and focused on Archer alone.

The 5th Archer.

EMIYA the Iron Wrought.

Formerly Shirou Emiya.

SON OF TAKAMI SAHASHI.

Lancer waved a hand in front of Shirou's face, snapping him back to the present. "Oi, boya? Shorry bout tah noish, but come ooonn, lesh hit the town!"

"No. Nonono," Shirou made a (futile) attempt to shove the Servants out, "you two need to go now, before-"

Shirou's faint hopes of swift ejection were dashed by a voice behind him, "Hey!!!" He spun around and saw Taiga, a sake bottle in hand, waving to the new arrivals! "Ish Cu and Mr. Grumpypants!"

Shirou was abruptly shoved aside as the Irish hero moved to meet the English teacher, original purpose forgotten, "Yeah! Worksh over, wanted to drink with tah new da! An you, course"

"..not mr grumpypants..." Archer drunkenly mumbled as Shirou pulled himself off the floor.

"You rather are, actually," said a new, cool feminine voice from behind the Counter Guardian. All heads focused on the entryway, where two women stood. The taller of the two continued,"although it's a less harsh way to say it than I would, personally." Rider was, Shirou noted, as... statuesque (haha!) as ever.

He didn't have much time to consider her, or the increasing danger of this situation, however. He was quickly captured in a hug by the other new arrival, "Welcome home Shirou!" Glasses, in his humble opinion, suited Sakura as well as they did her Ancient Greek girlfriend.

"It's good to be back," he replied with genuine affection. "How's teaching?"

Releasing him, she smiled softly and responded, "I'm advisor for the Archery Club now! They're doing very well, even if it's not quite the team we had in our day."

He nodded, then recalled the ticking time bomb in their midst, "Listen, Archer, you need to-"

"Shirou," Rider interrupted, pointing to the hall leading to the left wing of the estate, "who is that?"

She was, of course, pointing at Takami Sahashi, who'd followed to see what the commotion was.


	9. Chapter 9

Takami had already both heard that her son's family was visiting quite a number of people and gathered that people simply showed up to this home as they liked, but this was a bit ridiculous.

"Hey now boys, where'd ya dig up this gorgeOOF" started the drunk man with the bright blue hair, jeans and a wife beater, before her son's foster sister punched him in the ribs without stopping her current sake pull.

The other new man, smelling similarly pickled and dressed in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a red windbreaker, simply eyed her with bleary eyed curiousity, swaying a bit.

The shorter of the two new women pulled away from her son, obviously as curious as the taller, who'd verbally questioned Takami's identity.

"Well, Rider, um," Shirou stammered, obviously having hoped not to have this conversation with so many people at once.

Of course he was spared having to find a lead in when the sake fiend came up for air, "SHE'S HISH MOMMA!"

"SHE'S HIS WHAT?" the shorter woman cried.

"Taiga, that's not a joking matter surely?" the taller, Rider, added.

"Huh, neat." The blue drunk said simply, rubbing his side where the blow had struck.

The white haired drunk was blank in expression and entirely silent.

"...yes, well, thanks sis." Shirou said with a weary sigh. He gestured towards Takami, "Everyone, this is Takami Sahashi... my birth mother. I'm sure there's a lot of questions, but maybe it'd be best if we had dinner first? Or at least during?"


End file.
